title: Seizures and the neurosurgical intensive care unit.
abstract: The cause of seizures in the neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) can be categorized as emanating from either a primary brain pathology or from physiologic derangements of critical care illness. Patients are typically treated with parenteral antiepileptic drugs. For early onset ICU seizures that are easily controlled, data support limited treatment. Late seizures have a more ominous risk for subsequent epilepsy and should be treated for extended periods of time or indefinitely. This review ends by examining the treatment algorithms for simple seizures and status epilepticus and the role newer antiepileptic use can play in the NICU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, 2799 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48202-2689, USA. varelas@neuro.hfh.edu
authors.forename: Panayiotis N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Varelas
authors.forename: Marianna V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Spanaki
authors.forename: Marek A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mirski
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016638:Critical Illness; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants